Robert Portis, Author at The Fight City - Page 2 of 9The Fight City

Robert Portis

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Oct. 27, 1903: Johnson vs McVea II

On February 5th of 1903, Jack Johnson outpointed “Denver” Ed Martin to win what was referred to at that time as the “Black” or “Colored” heavyweight championship of ...
On October 27, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Hawk Time Forever

Were he still with us, Aaron Pryor would be 64-years-old today. Gone too soon, and taken in the same year that saw the passing of Muhammad Ali, the ...
On October 20, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Oct. 18, 1991: Mercer vs Morrison

Most boxing fans are familiar with the ancient chestnut, “As the heavyweights go, so goes boxing,” and it would be difficult to argue that the old saw bears ...
On October 18, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Oct. 14, 1949: Gavilan vs Jack

It was the classic clash of the old king vs the future king when the once-great Beau Jack met Kid Gavilan in Chicago Stadium in a ten round, non-title ...
On October 14, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Top 12 All-Time Worst Cheap Shots

All intentional fouls or blindside hits are cheap, but for this list we define a “cheap shot,” also known as a “sucker punch,” as a blow rendered when ...
On October 13, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Oct. 5, 1936: Canzoneri vs McLarnin II

Tony Canzoneri vs Jimmy McLarnin. Two of the very best from one of boxing’s great eras, the 1930’s, the Depression years, the glorious decade of Kid Chocolate, Barney ...
On October 5, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Sept. 12, 1951: Robinson vs Turpin

The first Robinson vs Turpin battle took place in London, England just two months before the second, and it will forever stand as one of the greatest upsets ...
On September 12, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Sept. 6, 1997: Zaragoza vs Morales

It was the classic confrontation: age and experience vs youth and raw talent. Southpaw Daniel Zaragoza was the grizzled veteran, a survivor of 65 professional battles and some 21 ...
On September 6, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Sept. 3, 1936: Ambers vs Canzoneri

Tony Canzoneri was already a lock for the Hall of Fame, not to mention an all-time great lightweight when he entered Madison Square Garden in May of 1935 ...
On September 3, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Top 12 All-Time Greatest Featherweights

We’ve ranked the all-time greatest middleweights, bantamweights, light heavyweights and flyweights. Now we turn to the featherweights and offer our ranking of the best to ever lace up ...
On August 14, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Aug. 9, 1980: Palma vs Randolph

In 1976, a group of young athletes journeyed to Montreal to fight for their country. There were no great expectations for the men who populated the American Olympic ...
On August 9, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Fight City Legends: The Georgia Deacon

He was only thirty-two when he left this world but if, as the old saw goes, only the good die young, then Tiger Flowers could never have escaped ...
On August 5, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Aug. 4, 1947: Williams vs Montgomery

Ike Williams and Bob Montgomery made no secret of the fact that they disliked one another and their animosity made for a pair of brutal clashes in Philadelphia, ...
On August 4, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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July 31, 1908: Ketchel vs Kelly

Alas, for so many of boxing’s truly great champions, precious little or no film exists of their exploits, but despite this, we possess solid evidence of their splendid ...
On July 31, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Top 12 All-Time Best Flyweights

We started with the middleweights, then the bantamweights, followed by the light heavyweights. Continuing our rankings of the greatest boxers in each of the original eight weight classes, ...
On July 28, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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July 25, 1902: Jeffries vs Fitzsimmons II

It is difficult to say how heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries would have matched up against more contemporary boxers, but there’s no doubt he was an extraordinary fighter. ...
On July 25, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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July 16, 1947: Zale vs Graziano II

In 1945 Rocky Graziano stood at the precipice of ruin. Just 26-years-old, with a record of 35-6-5, he had lost two matches in a row, two high profile defeats ...
On July 16, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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July 9, 1989: Rosario vs Jones

When we compare and rank boxers of the past, something all serious fight fans love to do, one of the key criteria is longevity. This has less to ...
On July 9, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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July 7, 1985: Chavez vs Mayweather I

It’s 1985 and everyone south of the border already knows who the next great Mexican boxer will be. The only problem is pretty much no one north of ...
On July 7, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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July 6, 1979: Gonzalez vs Oguma IV

The career of Betulio Gonzalez, which should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame but for reasons unknown is not, featured numerous clashes with various champions, but was ...
On July 6, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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June 29, 1942: Charles vs Burley II

No one knowledgeable about the long history of prizefighting doubts the standing of Charley Burley. The man was so good even Sugar Ray Robinson avoided him. And no ...
On June 29, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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June 22, 1938: Louis-Schmeling II

Former world champion Max Schmeling was a solid 10-to-1 underdog when he faced rising contender and awesome knockout artist Joe Louis in a major heavyweight showdown in June ...
On June 22, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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June 18, 1941: Louis vs Conn I

It is 1941 and while some say death and taxes are the only sure things in life, American sports fans know different. There exists a third certainty: Joe Louis ...
On June 18, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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June 12, 1989: Hearns vs Leonard II

Their first meeting in 1981, one of the biggest fights in boxing history, was called “The Showdown,” an appellation which made sense given that each held one of ...
On June 12, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Fight City Legends: The Smoke City Wildcat

They called them the Roaring Twenties, that crazy decade following World War I when the economy boomed, “speakeasies” opened on every other corner, the “flappers” started showing a ...
On June 6, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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May 25, 1980: Cooney vs Young

“I’m going to win this fight, going to win it big. I’ve trained hard for this and I’ve got it all together. I hear this Cooney kid is ...
On May 25, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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Happy Birthday To Marvelous Marvin Hagler

It’s the birthday of “The Marvelous One,” an all-time great middleweight champion who, for close to a full decade, was part of any discussion about the best fighter ...
On May 23, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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It’s Your Move, Bud!

If we say it too loudly we might just jinx it, but we have to give credit where it’s due: Al Haymon’s PBC at long last figured out ...
On May 17, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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May 8, 1982: Mancini vs Frias

By this time all of America knew the Ray Mancini story; precious few knew the tale of Arturo Frias. While “Boom Boom” Mancini was something out of a ...
On May 8, 2019 / By Robert Portis
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May 5, 1973: Jofre vs Legra

Boxing comebacks are usually a bad idea. Boxing comebacks involving former world champions over the age of 35 are, George Foreman notwithstanding, almost always a terrible idea. But ...
On May 6, 2019 / By Robert Portis

The Fight City

Montreal is The Fight City. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. A metropolis where hundreds of young warriors train and battle each day in its many gyms, it is where Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins all found greatness. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. Montreal is The Fight City.

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